"I'm on board," Gallade responded.
"Great," Evan said, smiling. "The energy cubes I'll make will start showing results after a month. Once they reach their peak effect, I'll switch to crafting even higher-grade cubes for you."
He paused, his tone growing more serious. "Those next cubes will be extremely rare—on the level of a secret recipe, almost legendary in quality. They'll be tough to make, but I'm committed to giving you the best."
Evan's dedication to his Pokémon shone through as he explained his plan. Despite the challenges, he resolved to prioritize their growth, even tying it to his long-term goal of becoming a top-tier trainer after achieving financial freedom.
With Gallade's plan sorted, Evan turned his attention to Gardevoir.
"Gardevoir, you're all about special attacks," he began. "Special attack, double defense, and speed are your focus stats. Your physical attack… well, that can improve, but it's not your forte."
Gardevoir tilted her head and gave him a sharp look. Are you calling me weak?
Evan blinked, caught off guard. "Uh, isn't it true? You're not built for physical moves…"
Before he could finish, Gardevoir raised her hands. Flames flared in one, icy energy swirled in the other. She had effortlessly conjured Fire Punch and Ice Punch.
Evan stared, stunned. "What the—?! You're a mage! Why are you pulling off punches like a martial artist?"
Gardevoir smiled smugly, clearly enjoying his reaction. My strength isn't small, she communicated. Even though my brother handles most battles, I'm strong in my own right. Don't underestimate me.
Gallade nodded silently in agreement, confirming her claim.
Evan rubbed his chin, considering her newfound versatility. "Alright, let's reevaluate. If you're this capable physically, you'll need a balanced strategy. Physical and special attacks, speed, and Teleport for evasion—it's perfect."
He thought aloud, listing moves. "Super punch, Knock Off, Triple Axel… Body Slam? "
Gardevoir raised her hand proudly. I can use all those moves. I've learned them from others.
Evan froze. "Wait, what? You've mastered all of them?"
She nodded, her expression calm yet confident.
Evan sighed, feeling both overwhelmed and excited. "Alright then, let's go all-in. We'll prepare energy cubes to enhance your physical and special attacks equally. With your versatility and Teleport, you'll be unstoppable."
Gardevoir gave him a graceful nod, clearly pleased with his response, while Gallade stood silently by her side, as composed as ever.
Evan couldn't help but smile. "This is going to be amazing," he said, looking at his two powerful allies.
"I see."
In that case, the energy cubes focused on enhancing Psychic abilities can be set aside for now.
For Gardevoir, energy cubes designed to boost physical strength and power would be more suitable. This unconventional approach might be non-standard, but it's definitely exciting. Training everyone to become well-rounded, hexagonal warriors seemed like the best plan.
With that decision made, Evan quickly solidified his strategy.
He arrived at the warehouse with Gallade and Gardevoir, ready to gather the necessary berries.
After selecting all the required berries, Evan witnessed Gardevoir's impressive strength firsthand.
She effortlessly lifted a haul of berries weighing hundreds of kilograms.
Evan froze. This is outrageous. You're a special attacker! Why are you this strong?
His thoughts spiraled. Is a mage even allowed to be this good at close combat?
Shaking his head to clear the disbelief, Evan dismissed the absurdity and refocused on the task. With all the ingredients collected, he led the Pokémon back to the workshop.
By then, Isla was already organizing the energy cubes Evan had prepared earlier, ready for Sophia to pick them up.
Evan planned the next batch of energy cubes carefully. Gardevoir and Gallade would each get their own custom blend. The male Kirlia would have the same cube recipe as Gallade, while the other Kirlia and Ralts would eat the same cubes as Sophia's Ralts.
This meant he had three different types of energy cubes to prepare.
Realizing he couldn't finish them all in one day, Evan decided to prioritize Gallade's and Gardevoir's cubes first. The remaining cubes for Ralts would have to wait until tomorrow. After all, the current stock of Ralts' cubes came from Sophia's supply, and those would need replenishing soon.
With a month-long plan mapped out, Evan busied himself throughout the morning.
By noon, he paused for lunch at the orphanage, fed Gardevoir and the others, and then resumed his work.
In the afternoon, Sophia arrived, eager to check on her Pokémon and see Gardevoir.
When her eyes fell on the Shiny Gardevoir, Gallade, and the other Pokémon, they sparkled with a mix of admiration and envy.
"Senior Evan, you're truly an emperor of luck," she said with a sigh. "To have been accepted by all of them at once… I can't believe it."
Sophia glanced at Gardevoir and Gallade with bittersweet feelings. "I wanted to care for them too, but Gardevoir and Gallade refused. And now, you've managed to win them over so easily."
Evan shrugged, a playful grin on his face. "What can I say? Maybe I'm just more handsome."
Sophia rolled her eyes at his smugness. "Yeah, right. As if I believe that."
Her jealousy quickly faded, and she smiled warmly. "Congratulations, Senior Evan," she said sincerely. "Make sure you take good care of them. They're my Kirlia's family. Don't let them suffer any more hardships."
Evan nodded seriously, appreciating her trust. "Don't worry. I'll make sure they're well taken care of."
She said this with genuine seriousness.
Now that Evan had taken in the Pokémon, Sophia had no objections. She only hoped he would take good care of them.
Not that her concerns were necessary.
If Evan can't take care of them properly, then no one in the world can.
After all, Evan's expertise as a breeder was unmatched.
Hearing her words, Evan smiled warmly and nodded.
"Of course," he assured her. "I'll take care of them. I like them very much."
Shifting the conversation, he gestured toward the neatly packaged energy cubes in the corner.
"These are Absol's energy cubes," he explained. "Same as Garchomp's—one box at a time, three boxes a day. Everything is ready."
Sophia nodded. "Got it. I'll take them back later."
She paused, then glanced back at Evan with curiosity.
"Evan, what are your next plans for the breeding house? Are you just going to focus on making energy cubes for people?"
Evan's breeding house had just opened, but as far as she could tell, Sophia and Violet were its only customers so far.
Evan shook his head. "For now, that's about it," he replied casually. "It's a brand-new operation. No big business yet, but that's fine. We'll see how it goes."
He smiled, exuding confidence. "I'm planning to get a batch of Pokémon eggs soon. I'll hatch them, raise them, and select some to be starter Pokémon for adoption. But for now, my main focus is on custom energy cubes and taking care of Pokémon."
He leaned back slightly, grinning. "Honestly, it's only been two days since I opened, and I'm already set financially for years."
Sophia blinked, surprised.
From just her and Violet's orders alone, Evan had made tens of millions of PokéDollars after expenses. He could afford to take it slow. And if more orders came in later, he'd be even better off.
He was optimistic. With Violet's large order, word would inevitably spread within their small circle.
"Who knows," he added, chuckling, "maybe an Elite Trainer will show up at my door someday."
Sophia nodded in agreement.
"Pokémon eggs, huh?" she mused. "That makes sense."
She hesitated, then added, "But you know, the peak tourist season is coming soon. A lot of Trainers might pass through this area on their way to the forest. You could get some traffic from them, so it might be a good idea to prepare."
Evan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Prepare what exactly?"
"Just some commonly used items," Sophia suggested. "Stuff Trainers need—healing sprays, berries, that kind of thing. Of course, energy cubes will be the big draw."
She paused, a playful glint in her eye. "Actually, Evan, do you want me to send you a batch of energy cubes? That way, you'd have more stock on hand without having to make everything yourself."
She stuck out her tongue teasingly. "Besides, it's a great way to promote my business."
Evan considered her offer. It wasn't uncommon for breeding houses to sell pre-made energy cubes from larger suppliers, especially during busy times.
But for now, he preferred to focus on producing custom orders, his specialty.
If energy cubes were to be sold at the breeding house, it would certainly require more manpower.
Judging by Evan's approach, however, it didn't seem like he planned to open a factory anytime soon.
Sophia considered offering her company's help to supply energy cubes for sale. Trainers passing by could easily purchase them, and it would add convenience.
Hearing her suggestion, Evan stroked his chin thoughtfully before responding.
"That's a good idea," he said. "But rather than selling them directly here, we can let the orphanage handle it. Aunt Jenn and the others can manage the sales."
He smiled. "It's a great way to help the orphanage earn some extra income."
While Evan had been financially supporting the orphanage himself, this seemed like a great opportunity for it to gain independence and self-sufficiency.
With the breeding house located along the roadside, Evan envisioned a simple signboard on the main road to attract passing Trainers. With energy cubes and essential supplies available, the orphanage could make steady earnings.
After a moment, Evan nodded to himself, convinced of the idea. "We'll sell energy cubes and some basic equipment, but nothing too complicated."
Sophia blinked in surprise at first but soon nodded in agreement. "Alright," she said with a determined smile. "I'll arrange for the cubes to be delivered tomorrow. The orphanage has a warehouse, right? That should work for storage."
She added, "Once you sell them, you can settle the payments later. If any cubes expire or don't sell, my team can handle the recycling."
Sophia even decided on a generous cost price for the orphanage, ensuring they could maximize their profits.
Evan, however, shook his head.
"No, let's stick to the ex-factory price," he said firmly. "I'll pay you upfront. I already owe you enough as it is."
He sighed, half-jokingly adding, "If I keep racking up debts, I might have no choice but to pledge myself to you."
Sophia's cheeks flushed slightly at his words.
"Senior Evan, that's a bit much!" she retorted, rolling her eyes at him. Her embarrassment only made her thoughts wander further.
Hmph, such wishful thinking! Does he really think I'd want him to marry into my family?
Her imagination ran wild, conjuring scenarios of Evan living off her wealth and running her business.
Evan chuckled at her reaction, knowing his comment was more joke than anything. Yet, beneath the humor, he was sincere—he didn't want to take too much from her without giving back.
Sophia quickly moved past her embarrassment and agreed to Evan's terms.
Evan then called Isla over and asked her to inform her mother to clean up the orphanage's warehouse. He also suggested converting one of the orphanage's unused halls into a small shop.
The orphanage's building was spacious, with plenty of underutilized areas. Most of the first floor was empty except for a central hall and a few storage rooms. One of these side halls, with its convenient separate entrance, would be perfect for a small shop.
Sophia approved of the plan before heading off to play with her Kirlia. Meanwhile, Evan returned to the workshop with Gardevoir and Gallade to finish their custom energy cubes.
By the afternoon, Evan had completed the cubes for both Pokémon. The rest of the orders would have to wait until tomorrow.
Satisfied with his progress, Evan handed over the follow-up tasks to his assistants and stepped out into the backyard for a break.
From a distance, he spotted Sophia lying on the grass, taking a nap. Surrounding her were several of the orphanage's children and a few Pokémon, all resting peacefully.
Evan blinked in disbelief. She really fell asleep just like that? No precautions at all?
Shaking his head, he approached quietly, intending to wake her up.
But before he could, a sudden explosion echoed from the direction of the back mountain.
The loud noise startled Sophia awake, as well as the Pokémon and children nearby.
"What was that?!" Sophia exclaimed, sitting up in alarm.
Evan turned toward the source of the sound, his expression sharp with concern. "Stay here," he said quickly. "I'll go check it out."